Car-coupling



2 Sheets sheet 1.

(No Medal.)

S. REYNOLDS. GAR COUPLING atented Feb. 22, 1898.

s. REYNOLDS.

N0. Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

UNrTEn STATES STEPHEN REYNOLDS, OF CANNON FALLS, MINNESOTA.

CAR COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,358, dated. February 22, 1898.

Application filed June 28, 1897- .To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN REYNOLDS, residing at Cannon Falls, in the county of Goodhue and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to certain improvements in car-couplings.

An object of the invention is to provide a car-coupling the parts thereof being so constructed that the cars can be automatically coupled together and can be uncoupled without the necessity of going in between the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car-coupling so constructed that provision will bem ade for the raising of the coupling mechanism where two cars of different heights are to be connected together.

A further object of the invention is to pro- Vide a car coupling the parts thereof being so arranged that while one of the cars is provided with my peculiar coupling head and link the same can be connected to a car provided with a different arrangement of coupling mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car-coupling the parts thereof being so arranged and connected that when the cars are not in a coupled position the mechanism can be thrown up against the end of the car, so as to be out of the way and not likely to be injured.

With these and further objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an end of a car, showing my coupling in a lowered and operative position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating two cars coupled together. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an end of a car, the coupling mechanism being raised and bearing against the end of said car. Fig. 4: is aperspective view showing a somewhatmodified form of construction. Fig. 5 is a Serial No. 641,923. (No model.)

detail perspective view of the coupling-link detached, and Fig. 6 is a detail View of a modified form of coupling-link.

The same letters of reference will indicate like parts wherever they occur throughout the different views.

In the practical embodiment of my invention I have shown an end of a car A, the same being provided with a draw-bar B, the front end of this draw-bar being slightly enlarged and provided with a practically U-shaped opening 0 to receive a link D, said link being preferably in the form of a square block of any suitable material and being provided on its front and rear lower ends with the balls E, the ball on the rear lpwer end of the block being adapted to be seated within and be freely movable in the U-shaped opening of the draw-head, while the ball located on the lower front end of said link or block is adapted to enter a corresponding U -shaped opening in a draw-head of the opposing car.

F indicates a curved bar or arm secured near the upper rear edge of the coupling link or block, the purpose of which will be here inafter more fully set forth.

G represents an operating bar or rod, the lower end thereof being bent around, as shown, and secured to the upper edge of the block or link, as at II. This bar or rod is looped, as shown at I, to receive the hook formed on the lower end of a bar J, the up per end of said bar projecting upwardly and passing through one end of the car to the top thereof, said bar being provided with a lug or projection K near the top end, so that when the same is raised the lug thereof can be locked in the opening of the top edge of the car after said rod has been drawn through said opening thereof. The bar G, after having been looped, as shown at I, is bent around and secured in bearings L on the end portions of the car, so that said bar can be freely turned therein, the free end of said bar, after passing through the bearings, being bent down to form a handle M, adapted to be operated from the side of the car, a loop or eye N being formed so as to receive the bent end of a hook O, fastened to the side of the car, in

order that said bar G can be held in a raised position against the end of the car when the coupling carried by that end of the car is in inoperative position.

P indicates a strap secured to the end of the car to serve as a bearing for the curved plate or arm F, secured to the link, as one of said links is swung against the end of the car, this strap tending to hold the link carrying the balls in a secured position against the end of the car when not in use, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, thereby permitting no possibility of injury to the link or operating mechanism when the same is swung up against the end portion of the car, as already described.

It should be noticed that the front portions of the draw-heads are provided with the forwardly-projecting part Q, so that the balls of the link will be held in the openings of said draw-heads against accidental removal when they are not in operative position.

In Fig. at I have shown a somewhat-modified form of construction. In this view I illustrate the coupling in operative position, the drawbar being provided with upwardly and rearwardly extending plates R, secured thereto, the rear portions of said plates being secured to a fiat plate S, this plate being provided on its front face with the bearing, as above described, for the passage of the operating-bar, which is adapted to raise and lower the coupling from the d raw-head. This plate S is provided with an opening near one end to fit over a knob or projection T, secured to the end of the car, so that said plate will be permitted to move in and out with the drawheads, thereby providing against any possibility of any undue strain at this point while the cars are not in motion.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a somewhat-modified form of link, and in this construction instead of providing the link with a ball arranged in .the front and lower ends thereof I simply locate a ball V in the rear end of the body portion of the link, while the front end thereof is centrally slotted, through which an ordinary pin used in connection with the common construction of a link-and-pin coupling is adapted to enter, so that the peculiarly-shaped link illustrated in this figure can be used in coupling two cars together where one of them is provided with coupling mechanism dissimilar to the one described herein.

The operation of my improved coupling will be readily understood from the foregoing description. By reason of the peculiarly-shaped link and the balls carried thereby I am enabled to securely connect the cars together, and when it is desired to detach the same the link can be swung to engage with the coupling-heads in a very simple and quick manner and locked against the ends of the cars.

It should be noticed that by reason of the peculiar arrangement of operating mechanism the coupling can be effected either from the side or top of the car without the least danger to the party operating the same, and it should be further observed by reason of the peculiarly-shaped openings of the drawheads that the balls carried by the links will be given a free movement therein, so that said link can be raised on one end when two cars are brought together of different heights.

Various slight changes might be made in the forms, constructions, and arrangements of the parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I-Ience Ido not care to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth, but consider myself entitled to all such changes as may fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination with a car-coupling of the draw-head having an opening in the front portion thereof, a link having the balls arranged on its front and rear lower ends to enter and to be freely movable within said opening, a curved arm or plate secured to said link as described, and operating mechanism whereby said link can be raised from the openings of said draw-heads and to be secured to the ends of the cars in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a car-coupling of the draw-head having an opening therein, a link provided with balls on the front and rear lower ends thereof, said balls being adapted to enter the openings of the draw-heads and be freely movable therein, a curved bar or arm secured to the upper portion of the link, and an operating-bar having the looped portions or eyes formed therein, and the hooks carried by the ends of the cars adapted to enter the eyes or loops when the link has been raised from the openings of the drawheads, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a car-coupling of the draw-head having the opening arranged therein, a link provided with the balls at its lower front and rear ends adapted to enter and to be freely movable in the opening of said draw-heads, upwardly-extendin g bars secured to the sides of the draw-head, the upper ends thereof being secured to a plate mounted upon a pin on the end portion of the car so as to permit said plate to move in and out with the motion of the draw-bar, and operating mechanism connected to the link and passing through bearings on the side of the freely-movable plate in the end of the car and adapted to be operated from the side of said car, as and for the purpose described.

4:. The combination with a car-coupling of the bar carrying the draw-head provided with an opening therein for the reception of a link having the balls formed in the front and rear lower ends of said link adapted to enter and be freely movable in the draw-heads, the

link is thrown into and out of engagement with the draw-head, as and for the purpose 10 set forth.

STEPHEN REYNOLDS.

Witnesses:

L. A. ROSING, SAMUEL -KRAFT. 

